


Sorellina

by gay_and_panicked



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, Bathing/Washing, Brother-Sister Relationships, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:35:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26302045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_and_panicked/pseuds/gay_and_panicked
Summary: Nile has her throat slit on a mission and doesn't deal with it well. her brothers are there to help.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 102





	Sorellina

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic so please be kind!

tacky blood runs down her throat but she feels no urge to reach up and wipe it away. nile sits impossibly still. if asked tomorrow she honestly wouldn't be able to tell you how she got back to the car. the whole world feels slow and hazy. she's faintly aware of nickys voice as he murmurs in quiet Italian to joe glancing back at her frequently with worry-filled eyes. nile doesn't have the energy to focus on that right now though. normally she would break the tension with a joke. she'd complain about how much she liked this shirt, let Nicky press his fingers against her wrist in silent reassurance. ask about the first historical figure she could think of just to hear the chorus of

" _ oh that guy was such a dick! _ "

" _ Please do not get them started" _

_ "Yusuf I swear if you don't stop lamenting about Nico's eyes I'm going to throw you out the goddamn window." _

she can't seem to do any of that right now though. she can hear nothing but static like the tv in her head had disconnected. her mind won't stop going back to the feel of the knife sliding through her throat cutting through her skin and muscle like a hot knife through butter. The sting of sliced skin right before she fell to her knees and blood bubbled up over the edges of her wound coating her shirt and the hand she raised in a desperate attempt to keep the skin of her neck together. she'd fallen to the ground heaving for a breath that never came panic instead welling up leaving her numb and terrified gasping for air like a fish out of water. Nicky had found her then pulling her head into his lap and murmuring soft words in Italian and Arabic and French and on and on as nile choked on her blood. she knows logically that they are in Canada that she is surrounded by snow and crisp air that stings your lungs if you breath to deeply but her mind won't seem to let her know of that fact as it wanders back to burning heat and camo as she bleeds out on the dirt floor in dizzy's arms. The car stops but she just can't seem to find the energy to get up. her limbs are numb and heavy hands gripping each other in her lap. she runs her fingers together roughly massaging the half-dried blood into her skin. she feels booker get up from her side and can hear him and the rest of her family grab the gear from the car bringing it all into the house. still, she stays. sitting patiently her face downturned as she stares off into space rolling the now flaky blood dried into her flesh back and forth. her nervous rubbing gets faster and faster as panic sets in and she reaches up for her neck a choked wail caught in her chest. Her hands scratch at her neck skin joining the blood underneath her fingernails as she claws at her throat begging for an easy breath. gentle hands still her clawing as low keen escapes her. she hears Nicky call out for joe as she struggles for breath. with a grounding hand still clasped around her, Nicky and joe make quick work of the seatbelt constricting her and manage to get her out of the car. Joe lifts her one hand under her knees the other cradling her head to his chest. She would normally complain but all she can think to do know is chase the warmth of his chest in an attempt to get the bone-deep chill to leave. joe sets her down on the kitchen counter as Nicky grabs a rag and fills a bowl with warm water. he begins to drag the warm cloth carefully over hands wiping the blood and gore away. she watches her blood gather on the rag and can't help the way her breaths become ragged and broken at the sight. 

"Nile."

Joes voice is gentle and understanding as he clasps her face between his hands tilting her view from her bloody hands to his kind face. He lets her pitch forward slightly sobbing into his neck.

"Hear my heartbeat? Just focus on that. Breath in and out Sorella." 

she sits like that for an indiscernible amount of time breathing in time with his heartbeats. Nicky finishes cleaning up her hands and briefly leaves. He returns a few minutes later after turning on the water in the shower. 

" nile, Amato Uno, I have the shower going do you want us to let you shower alone?"

panic floods her system at the thought of leaving them and she lets out a whimper 

"Please don't leave me."

she croaks fisting her hands into Joes shirt.

Nicky runs a soothing hand over her back as joe leans down and tenderly kisses the crown of her head.

"We won't Sorellina I promise come let's get you clean."

she can't help the panic that still overwhelms her as she lets Nicky guide her to the bathroom his warm hand a grounding presence at the small of her back. steam greets her warmth filling the air. Joe and Nicky carefully strip her of blood tacky clothes and help her into the shower. they get in behind her and lightly nudge her underneath the hot stream of water. Nile zones out as they gently wash every trace of blood and grime off her body. 

"lean back for me Tesoro."

Nicky tenderly rinses her braids massaging her scalp in such a way that has her spacing out in utter ease letting the exhaustion take over and trusting her family to care for her. Nicky stops the water stepping out and reaching for Nile after wrapping a towel around himself. they towel her off quickly before any chill could set in. they lead her back to the room setting her on the bed returning with her clothes and pulling them on her. booker sits down by her side pressing his thigh against her own. she lets herself lean on his shoulder as joe and Nicky flit about. Nicky's hands Nile a glass of water which she slowly drinks hands still trembling. 

"it's always rough the first couple of times."

Booker speaks from above his head resting on top of hers. 

"I was hung my first time. I still can't stand to have anything around my neck and my first death was in 1812."

she lets out a wet laugh at that. 

"so you're saying it never gets better then?"

Booker chuckles his shoulder shaking under her cheek.

"It kind of fades becomes less paralyzing less debilitating."

her hand flutters up to her neck on instinct pulling at the healed over skin with tired fingers trying to fight the prickling feeling that still lies underneath the surface. exhaustion begins to make her eyes heavy black dots roaming her vision as she lets joe smoothly guide her to lay down on the bed pulling the covers up to her chest he crawls in behind her making room for Nicky in front of him. Nicky curls around her back thin fingers tracing patterns on the skin of her forearm. booker curls up in front of her allowing her to press her head into the hollow of his neck. She falls asleep that night still feeling the panic that reliving her first death brought up in her. She knows that the feeling may never go away, that every time she has her throat slit she will feel this impossible fear spread through her consume her every nerve with paralyzing dread. She also knows that every time she is paralyzed with fear her brothers will protect her. No matter what she knows she will have her family right there to carry her home.


End file.
